November 2025 Service Changes

[tombzy]

new as in newly put up for tender, if it was for completely new routes id have put that tbf, the only new route is the 98/99 in solihull

"Newly up for tender"
Didnt know the 5/5a were commercial until November 

[2206]

Would I be hopeful in thinking is 98/99 is going to be a 15 min service from Solihull via Lyndon, Sheldon and Horrell Rd until Sedgemere Rd then one continues the 73 route to Heartlands (approx 55 min trip) and the other takes the A9 route from there to Fordbridge and extends to Chelmsley Wood (approx 70 min trip).

Could be but it would also probably make sense for the 98 to maintain the direct Lyndon-Swan link that has existed for  years and then cover the Yew Tree to Heartlands section of the 73, while the 99 could do something like that
There also used to be quite a few passengers who used that link.

Also it's not the first time a 99 has operated in that area actually.

[Steve3229vp]

Could be but it would also probably make sense for the 98 to maintain the direct Lyndon-Swan link that has existed for  years and then cover the Yew Tree to Heartlands section of the 73, while the 99 could do something like that
There also used to be quite a few passengers who used that link.

Also it's not the first time a 99 has operated in that area actually.

History Of 98's and 99's

98
City-Kingstanding (Limited Stop)
City-Bordesley Green-Lea Hall-Chelmsley-Marston Green
Chelmsley Hopper (extended to and from Solihull for a short time
Sheldon-Ward End (later extended to ASDA Small Heath to replacing 28S)
Ward End-Small Heath (replacing 24 or 28A)
City-QE-Northfield-Rednal-Rubery

99
City-Rubery (Limited Stop)
City-Bordesley Green-Lea Hall-Bacons End-Chelmsley Wood North (City section withdrawn 1986, re-instated via Small Heath in 1989.
Birmingham-Halesowen-Merry Hill (replacing daytime 139's)
Acocks Green (not so sure)- Lea Village

There may be more !

[2206]

Acocks Green (not so sure)- Lea Village

It also did Shirley - Castle Bromwich (Morrisons) when it was at Acocks Green garage.
Replaced by the 58 & then subsequently A9.

Also 99 City - QE - Harborne - Quinton - Halesowen. Old  636

[ellspurs]

I miss the 99 as it used to give me direct bus access to Heartlands Hospital from Smith's Wood. 

Could be but it would also probably make sense for the 98 to maintain the direct Lyndon-Swan link that has existed for  years and then cover the Yew Tree to Heartlands section of the 73, while the 99 could do something like that
There also used to be quite a few passengers who used that link.

Also it's not the first time a 99 has operated in that area actually.

One of the buses would need to go to the Kingshurst Fordbridge Road depot otherwise it'd leave the back half of Kingshurst without a bus connection.

Do they still have that "minimum distance to walk to a busstop in an urban area" in the TfWM charter? I remember it being 400m or something in the Centro days.

[winston]

"Newly up for tender"
Didnt know the 5/5a were commercial until November

They're not.

[tombzy]

They're not.

So they arnt new tenders they are just going back onto the market for bidding

[winston]

So they arnt new tenders they are just going back onto the market for bidding

Some are newly tendered routes, some aren't. 

[tombzy]

Some are newly tendered routes, some aren't.

The way it was worded implied all of them are newly tendered

[Stu]

The way it was worded implied all of them are newly tendered

Technically that is correct.

Any contract comes to an end, at which point it becomes a new contract put out to tender, which anyone can bid on. 

[BK63 YWP]

So they arnt new tenders they are just going back onto the market for bidding

When a tender is won, it's operated for a certain period of time. It's then tendered again so anyone can bid on it. The 5/5A have been rendered since the late 205 days wouldn't be surprised if they are renumbered back to the 205 

[winston]

The way it was worded implied all of them are newly tendered

Does it really matter.

[the trainbasher]

And some of the routes have had their tender docs merge, so theoretically they're new tenders in that way as some were 1 early morning, and then the rest Eves and Sun, so TfWM occasionally put them on 1 spec.

Ironically the Dudley 18 is two different tender specs, as the E&S is interworked with the 81, which during the day is its own tender as well as thats on the WN53

[BBS]

History Of 98's and 99's

98
City-Kingstanding (Limited Stop)
City-Bordesley Green-Lea Hall-Chelmsley-Marston Green
Chelmsley Hopper (extended to and from Solihull for a short time
Sheldon-Ward End (later extended to ASDA Small Heath to replacing 28S)
Ward End-Small Heath (replacing 24 or 28A)
City-QE-Northfield-Rednal-Rubery

99
City-Rubery (Limited Stop)
City-Bordesley Green-Lea Hall-Bacons End-Chelmsley Wood North (City section withdrawn 1986, re-instated via Small Heath in 1989.
Birmingham-Halesowen-Merry Hill (replacing daytime 139's)
Acocks Green (not so sure)- Lea Village

There may be more !

There was also a 99 which went from Shirley to Lyndon 

[Rachvince53]

When a tender is won, it's operated for a certain period of time. It's then tendered again so anyone can bid on it. The 5/5A have been rendered since the late 205 days wouldn't be surprised if they are renumbered back to the 205

Unlikely since with a few exceptions most routes in the area have "local" one or two digit numbers (excluding variations such as 16A) and in my opinion there would be no logic in renumbering it back to 205.